Queering the Asian Diaspora

East and Southeast Asian Sexuality, Identity and Cultural Politics

"Queering the Asian Diaspora by Hongwei Bao is an intellectually engaging book that makes timely interventions to the fields of diaspora studies, queer theory, and transnational studies. It invites the reader into an electrifying archive of queer cultural productions ranging from fashion photography, experimental drag performance, queer weddings, queer curation, digital film and media, and artistic conjuring of a queer Bandung internationalism. These radical and minor transnational artistic practices by East and Southeast Asian queer diasporic cultural producers emerge in new light through Bao’s brilliant theoretical insights."

 Alvin K. Wong, author of Unruly Comparison: Queerness, Hong Kong, and the Sinophone

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified global geopolitical tensions, bringing Sinophobia and anti-Asian racism into sharp focus. At the same time, a growing Asian diasporic consciousness is emerging worldwide, celebrating Asian identity and cultural heritage. Yet, in the space between anti-Asian racism and the rise of Asian advocacy, the voices of queer people have often been largely missing.

This book addresses that gap. Exploring a range of contemporary case studies from art, fashion, performance, film, and political activism, Bao offers a powerful intersectional cultural politics—anti-nationalist, anti-racist, decolonial, feminist, and queer—that challenges dominant narratives and amplifies marginalized voices.

The Social Science for Social Justice series challenges the Ivory Tower of academia, providing a platform for academics, journalists, and activists of color to respond to pressing social issues.